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Now it’s full force into the ACC
Gail Goestenkors, a native of Waterford, Michigan, is in her ninth season as coach of the Duke Blue Devils. The three-time ACC coach of the year led Duke to the 1999 NCAA title game and it's first ACC tournament title in 2000. The Blue Devils are currently12-1 and ranked No. 5 in the nation. Check out Goestenkors diary every other week on CNNSI.com.
January 5, 2001
Hi! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Last year, Mark (my husband) and I had big plans but he came down with the flu. He had a temperature of 104 and slept all day. As I was watching the ball drop in Times Square, I woke him up and he asked what day it was, I said well, it's almost a new millennium. He responded, "Merry Christmas" and fell fast asleep. So we were determined to have a "do-over" this New Year. Unfortunately, Mark was with his team up in New York when the snow storm hit. So instead of getting back at 3:00 p.m. on the 31st, he returned at 3 a.m. on the 1st. So I just stayed at home and watched tape of Wake Forest. Maybe next year...ha! We don't begin the second semester until January 10th. So we've had lots of time to practice. We've been going twice a day since we returned from break on the 27th. This is a great opportunity to get back to basics and work on a few new plays. We have had some great games, but we still have a LONG way to go if we want to compete for the national championship. Of course, my staff and I love being able to practice all day long, but I don't think the players are quite so happy. They're talking about how they're ready for school to start again! (I thought I'd never hear those words uttered.) Overall, the Christmas break has been good for us. We won the tournament out in Cancun, Mexico. We then went home for a few days. I had the chance to see my little niece, Bryn, who was 10 days old and my nephews, Ian and Jared. We had over two feet of snow in Michigan. It was really pretty and, I enjoyed seeing it for a few days and then LEAVING! We returned to Durham and had two big wins over Iowa State and Wake Forest. We've finished our non-conference schedule, and I'm really proud of the team for going undefeated against some great competition. Now it's full force into the ACC. Our conference is tough this year from top to bottom. Every game will offer us a tremendous challenge. As a coach, I really enjoy working with the players and having to be totally prepared and focused for each and every game. We feel like our conference will be survival of the fittest. Each game is a battle and the ACC tournament is a WAR! I just want to wish everyone the very best in the new year, and my hope for all the teams around the country is "NO MORE INJURIES." Take care, -- Coach G.
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